Fulcrum-block for brake-beams.



No. 787,888. PATENTED APR'.25,1905. c. E. BAUER.

PULGRUM BLOCK FOR BRAKE BEAMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a. 1903.

wwrmsszs; 2 INVENTOR,

Cari E.Baaer,

Patented April 25, 1905.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. BAUER, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX RAIL- WAY APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FULCRUM-BLOCK FOR BRAKE-BEAMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,888, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed September 2, 1903. Serial No. 171,583.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL E. BAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Fulcrum Block for Brake Beams, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the beams for operating the brakes of railway cars and the like, and particularly to the fulcrum blocks used for attaching the same to the brake lever. The objects of the invention are, to provide a brake block which is easily placed upon and removed from the beam without slipping over the end thereof; to provide an integral brake block in which the two arms supporting the fulcrum pin are made integral to avoid danger of separating, and at the same time the block has a hold upon the beam independent of bolts or rivets; to provide an integral brake block self retaining upon the flange of the beam and yet removable without slipping over the ends, and to generally sim plify the structure and improve the efficiency of fulcrum blocks. These objects, together with other advantages which will hereinafter appear, I attain by means of the construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing a brake beam with my im proved fulcrum block applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the brake beam and side elevation of the fulcrum block in place thereon;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the block on the beam looking in an upward direction in Figure 2.

Figure l is a modified form, avoiding use of one of the rivets.

My device is designed to overcome two of the great difficulties in the design of fulcrum blocks,--uamely, the weakness and danger of spreading of the two arms of the block in the two-piece constructions, and the difficulty of placing the one-piece constructions on the beam without depending upon rivets for tensional strains.

make the fulcrum block and hooked support integrally of malleable cast iron, of the form shown, which is seated upon the flange 5 of the brake beam 4 and has a side 8 extending around the flange and fitting it nicely and fitting also against the web l of the beam, and provided with a flange extended on the opposite side, co-operating with the separable retaining block 9 to hold the same in position upon the beam. The two extending arms 7, as will be understood, are twisted askew to the line of the beam and are provided with holes for the pivot pin. The block proper, 6, is fastened in place upon the beam by means of the rivets 10 and 11, which pass respectively through the web and parts 8 and S), and through the extended flange and the retaining block S) outside the flange 5. The block 6 may be made with strengthening ribs as indicated in Figure 3.

It will be seen that by this construction the block proper, 6, is seated directly upon the flange 5 and the hooked side 8 embraces said flange and the web, and that in pulling strains the hook form of the block may transmit practically all the strains through the solid side of the block, leaving the separable block 9 merely to hold the fulcrum block in its place, and relieving the rivet ll of alarge part or practically all pulling strain. By this construction, the removal of the block 5) will permit of the easy placing or removal of the whole fulcrum block in place upon the beam, while at the same time the hooked part is made solid with the arms for the pivot holes and the danger ofspreading of the same is avoided, and the strain of the pull upon the pivot is transmitted directly to the rear side of the flange 5 and does not rely upon the shearing resistance of the rivets 10.

In Figure 1 I have shown a modification of the fastening, in which the removable block 8) is provided with a hooked finger 12 which engages an opening in the seat flange (3 of the fulcrum block, (situated in about the same position as the rivet holes inFigu re 2.) This makes the removable block more easily put on and avoids the use of the second rivet 11 at this I therefore prefer to place, rendering the device also more safe,

since the parts cannot come apart except by the removing ofrivet 1 1 ,which is not subjected to any appreciable shearing strain.

The many advantages of the device will readily occur to those familiar with its use.

Having thus described my invention and its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. A brake beam fulcrum comprising a member embracing the base and one side of the flange of the beam, and a locking member attached to the other member by a tongueandgro0ve joint, substantially as described.

2. In a brake beam fulcrum the combination of a block having jaws for the brake lever and an arm embracing the flange of the beam, the seat on the flange extending over the edge of the same and having a slot therein, and a complementary locking block having a projection engaging the slot in the first block and riveted to the brake beam, substantially as described. 0

In testimony whereof I have hereunder signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed Witnesses.

CARL E. BAUER.

Witnesses PAUL CARPENTER, CHAS. H. EBERT. 

